Factbook
Care Chemicals
BASF’s Care Chemicals division is a globally leading supplier to the cosmetics, detergents and cleaning industries. We also offer solutions for technical applications and crop protection. Together with our customers, we create innovative solutions to meet the current and future needs of society more sustainably. We contribute to the long-term success of our customers’ brands with a broad range of products and concepts via our global network of production and development sites.
Sales by direct customer industry 2024

Portfolio
Home care and industrial & institutional cleaning
We develop, produce and market a wide range of ingredients for the global detergents and cleaners industry. As the innovation leader in this market, we offer choices to our customers by providing a broad portfolio to successfully cater to today’s and tomorrow’s market needs, always considering the changing regulatory requirements. Our strong and integrated global production footprint, combined with a state-of-the-art R&D base and in-depth market and application expertise, drives our unique value proposition. This makes us the partner of choice for formulators of efficient, convenient, sustainable and safe-to-use cleaning products. Our portfolio, which is constantly being further developed, includes surfactants, enzymes, performance boosters, polymers, chelating agents, biocides, optical effect products, stabilizers and methanesulfonic acid.
Personal care
We envision a future where sustainability and scientific innovation are at the core of every product. Fueled by the expertise and passion of our teams, we embrace agility and proactively address the rapidly evolving desires and needs of consumers in the industry. Our commitment goes beyond individual products. We collaborate with partners across the ecosystem, leveraging our extensive portfolio and scientific expertise to deliver innovative and sustainable ingredients solutions to our customers, considering the entire value chain. Our broad personal care portfolio includes actives, bioactives, emollients, emulsifiers, polymers, surfactants and UV filters. We are committed to being a valued partner for the industry, focusing on market knowledge, scientific innovation and sustainable solutions.
Industrial formulators
We develop and commercialize a broad portfolio of processing aids, differentiating additives and surface-active building blocks for a wide range of industrial applications and further downstream processing. With our formulation know-how and understanding of the physicochemical properties of our products, we enable customer-specific solutions. In addition, we market an extensive portfolio of performance enhancers to crop protection and plant nutrition companies.
Our product portfolio includes dispersants, emulsifiers, surface modifiers, solvents, chelating agents, biocides, micronutrients and methanesulfonic acid.
Market position and main competitors
The Care Chemicals division holds one of the top three market positions in all strategic business areas in which it is active.
The main competitors (alphabetical order) include Clariant, Croda, Dow, Evonik, Sasol, Stepan, Syensqo and Zanyu.
Focus of research and development
We are committed to delivering innovative and sustainable products and solutions in close collaboration with customers in our core markets, with a strong focus on bio-based and biodegradable ingredients. With process innovation in our core technologies, we target continuous capacity and yield improvement to ensure competitiveness and reduce carbon footprints. We systematically identify and establish new technologies to best support our customers in driving innovation for end consumers.
Acquisitions/JVs/investments
From 2022 onward
Product group | Description | Year |
Alkoxylates | Capacity expansion in Antwerp, Belgium | 2023 |
Capacity expansion in Ludwigshafen, Germany | 2024 | |
Alkylpolyglucosides (APG) | Expansion of global capacities in Bangpakong, Thailand, and Cincinnati, Ohio | 2025-2026 |
Enzymes | Investment in production setup for bacterial enzymes and biotechnology products, Kundl/Schaftenau, Austria | 2024 |
Methanesulfonic acid |
Capacity expansion in Ludwigshafen, Germany |
2022 |
Optical brighteners | Capacity expansion in Monthey, Switzerland | 2022 |
UV filters | New plant in Jinshan, China | 2023 |
Major nameplate capacities of BASF1
Thousand metric tons per year
Product group | Location | Capacity |
Anionic surfactants | Europe, North America, South America, Asia Pacific | 550 |
Chelating agents | Europe, North America, South America | 170 |
Methanesulfonic acid | Europe | 50 |
Nonionic surfactants | Europe, North America, Asia Pacific | 800 |
1 All capacities are included 100%, including plants belonging to joint operations and joint ventures.
Innovation

Sokalan® CP 301: Readily biodegradable dispersant with excellent performance
Supporting our customers’ transition toward improved sustainability in agriculture is essential. BASF is therefore proactively developing new products that anticipate future regulations. With Sokalan® CP 301, BASF has launched the world’s first readily biodegradable dispersant for crop protection formulations. Dispersants are used as additives in formulations to ensure the homogenous distribution of active ingredients, preventing particle aggregation and thus enhancing both formulation stability and efficacy. Sokalan® CP 301 also delivers excellent performance, even with challenging active ingredients, making it the ideal choice for agricultural applications.